Author Targeted For Discrimination By Hyatt

Author Laura Baumbach was one of my fellow authors at Romantic Times in Houston last week. Unfortunately, her experience was far from Happily Ever After. Indeed, it would be far more accurately shelved with things like Richard Wright's Native Son or similar tales of discrimination. Indeed, the only thing "romantic" about it was the negative nostalgia it created for the bad old days of openly hypocritical and hateful behavior.

The exact story is best left to she who experienced it, especially since she writes it so well. It is, after all, what she does. You can find it here, at her blog.

The behavior of the Hyatt was despicable. They clearly discriminated against a specific subject. The area where the items in question were set up was deep in the heart of an area filled with the convention. There were no business meetings or public events happening in this area of the hotel. Their refusal to explain their actions to Laura indicates that they knew that doing so would create legal issues for them. I wonder just how prepared they are going to be to discuss them with the ACLU?

Please go and read Laura's account. Please post a comment to her blog showing your support and spread the word to others about this situation. A business the size of Hyatt only pays attention to one thing... money. If we can create enough buzz that they start fearing it will hurt them on the bottom line, we'll have done our job. Also, Hyatt spends a lot of money at the corporate level advertising to the gay community and seeking their vacation dollars. Let's make them spend some on damage control.

I for one will not stand quiet while they drag my neighbors into the shadows. Nor should you. There is a poem attributed to Martin Niemoller about the inactivity of German intellectuals against the Nazi's...


First they came for the Socialists and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left
to speak up for me.

Speak up!